We are at the peak of cold and flu season, so I thought I would share a few tips with you on how to stay healthy during this time. Yes, you can get the flu shot if you want, but that doesn’t absolutely mean that you won’t get it. I’m not a big fan of flu shots because I have concerns about the ingredients in the vaccine itself. Did you know that the flu vaccine contains Aluminum and Formaldehyde? No, thank you.
I’d much rather take a few precautions to keep from getting ill. I’ve mentioned before that I’m a big germaphobe. Let’s just say I’m a big fan of the automatic soap dispensers and paper towel dispensers in restaurant bathrooms! Two of the best inventions ever! Big thank you to whoever invented those things! I could do without the whole automatic toilet flush thing though. 🙂
General
Try to avoid touching your face at all when you are out in public. Germs can transfer from your hands to your face.
Cell phones can have more germs on them than a toilet seat. Avoid sharing your cell phone, or at least wipe it down with a little rubbing alcohol after that person uses it. Doing that occasionally is a good idea in general.
Restaurants
Look over the menu and order, then go wash your hands. Dozens of dirty hands have touched that menu, and you know that they aren’t wiping them down with sanitizer after each use.
The condiment bottles are also a concern because they get handled by people that don’t wash their hands before using them. Just think about how many contaminated services they might have touched before picking up that bottle of ketchup. You can either wipe it down with a sanitizing wipe or use a napkin to handle it.
Bathrooms
After you wash your hands, use a paper towel to open the door if it has a handle. Unfortunately, not everyone washes their hands after using the bathroom. I personally don’t get how someone could do that, but they do. The worst bathrooms for me are the ones that only have the air dryers. If I know ahead of time that they are either out of paper towels or have an air dryer, I’ll take a few napkins in with me. I also like to keep a container of hand sanitizer in my purse just in case.
The soap dispensers are another area where lots of germs reside for obvious reasons. Studies have found fecal matter on these dispensers, so take your time and scrub those hands good.
Doctor’s offices and hospitals are two of the biggest hot zones for germs. I never pick up a magazine while I’m there, and I always wash my hands or use hand sanitizer as soon I leave their office.
To be honest, these are things that I do on a regular basis, not just during flu season. I think that we would all be better off if more people just washed their hands.
Probiotics
I’m not talking about Activia here. I’m talking about probiotics like fermented foods. A study done by Dr. Mercola and his team found that fermented vegetables produced by probiotic starter cultures had 10 trillion colony-forming units of bacteria. Basically, you are getting way more bang for your buck with fermented foods. It’s important to maintain a healthy digestive system because most of your immune system resides in your digestive wall.
I eat yogurt, but I also get some of my probiotics by eating this sauerkraut from Farmhouse Cultures.
This isn’t your typical store-bought sauerkraut that has been packed in vinegar. Their sauerkrat is naturally fermented and the Smoked Jalapeno flavor is amazing. I hated sauerkraut as a kid, but now I eat it just about everyday because this brand is that good! They have several different flavors, but this is the only one I’ve tried so far.
What precautions do you take to stay well?
Disclaimer: I’m not a medical professional. Any recommendations that I make are based on my own research and experience and are for informational purposes only. I’m not telling you not to get a flu shot. I’m just a germaphobe looking for a few friends. 😉